The Alpha's Curse The Enemy Within

| froze as my amber eyes pierced right through that of Thea's. | didn't know why that name of hers sounded familiar, and the look she held in her brown eyes told me | was right. There was more to all of this.

For the first time, all | could see in those venomous brown eyes was hate. A deep unmistakable hatred for me. She hated me. But why? I took a step closer to her, as silence lingered between us for a second.

“Am | supposed to know that name?" | asked, and the brown fury in her eyes only sparked more.

But she didn't say a word.

“Thea, you've been caught. And there's no way you'll be breaking free. Every one of those,” | pointed at the chains binding her. “They've been spelled to keep you from using your magic, and also this dungeon. So, we could do this the easy way or the hard way. | know you are working for Lucius—" | began but her hysterical laughter cut me off immediately.

1 paused, watching her until she was done.

“You are completely clueless, aren't you?" She muttered coldly, with darkness in her depths. "I work with Lucius; | don't work for him.” “Enough with the mind games, Thea. You've confessed everything to my mate. And you've committed a great crime against the pack, by claiming to be carrying my heir. You've also broken our first rule, which is ‘never to endanger the life of any fellow pack member, but you did just that when you sent word to an enemy pack to attack ours. You've also committed treason against your Luna and that's the part | can never forgive, Thea,” | muttered to her slowly, getting up on my feet.

"So what, Killian Reid? Am | supposed to be scared?” She asked with a smirk.

“At first light tomorrow, your punishment would be handed over to you by the court and me, and trust me, not even that child can get you off easily,” I said to her, and all she could do was smile. But | ignored her. '1 just have one thing bothering me, and 1 will get my

answer to that, if that child isn't mine, then whose is it? Who is your lover, Thea?" The smile wandering on her lips vanished, and her eyes hardened.

“Don't tell me you are jealous? Did you really hope it was yours?" “No, Thea. On the contrary, you managed to make me exceedingly happy to know that my mate, Sheila, would be the only mother of all my pups. And | feel sorry for whoever has that child, clearly, he’s still bewitched by you," | told her, and she snarled in rage as | motioned to the door.

“Damn you, Killian Reid. | swear on my life, | will get my revenge on you,” she rushed on, insanely, her eyes burning brightly.

Her instant words made me pause in my tracks, and as | swirled around, my amber pair got trapped in her revengeful brown flames that wanted nothing but to consume me.

“There, that's it. That hatred in your eyes. I've seen it far too many times, Thea. It reflects exactly what you are not saying,” | kept on

talking but she still wasn't saying anything. Her silence was frustrating. But | have to get the whole truth from her. I knew there was something else. Something that had to do with me. With every passing second, | could feel it.

1 could feel the hatred rooted in her gaze for me. The only time | had ever seen such vengefulness was whenever she spoke about her family and the supposed Alpha who murdered her parents.

Just then, | froze.

My eyes held her burning rage as a thought flooded my mind. “What did | ever do to you, Thea?" “Are you curious?” She asked, her voice murderous, and eyes blazing harder than a volcano pit.

I stalked closer to her. “There's something else.” “Good. I'm glad you know that. And | swear that curiosity would eat you up—" she began rambling on, but my large hand choked her

neck, shutting her up.

I held her frail neck in my hand, as my sharp claws dug hard into it. | could feel the warm crimson fluid that gushed out of her neck. “Tell me." Thea groaned from pain, as she tried wriggling against the chains confining her. Her brown gaze still held its vengeful glow.

“You want to know? Fine. You fucking bastard murdered my father and his entire coven, including my mother!” she spat the words right at my face.

The intensity of her words tore my grip away from her neck and | backed away immediately, not from shock but from outright confusion.

“I murdered your parents?" | voiced, even though the words sounded absurd in my ears. “That's fucking impossible,” I couldn't peel my eyes away from her as her words kept resounding in my ears.

That couldn't be.

Never had | gone after witches, let alone an entire coven when | had a curse on my fucking head.

“Impossible?” She wasn't breaking a smile. "You fucking hypocrite. It was a few years after Nell's demise, you killed my father, Killian Reid, and afterward, incarcerated every member of his coven, including my mother, until you finally killed them,” she screamed and | remembered.

My amber eyes narrowed on her, as her last words made me remember.

“Now, you remember. At least we are getting somewhere,” she counted her words, her eyes refusing to set me free.

“Your father was Thane Damauri?" | muttered in disbelief.

“You killed him," her voice was filled with disdain, and her words sharp.

“Yes, | did. And his entire coven, and | swear | don't regret it” | was honest. Thane worked with my father. He was like Nell's shadow and

was as vile and dark as Nell was. He performed unsanctioned magic and was the same fucking witch who helped Nell place the curse on my brothers and me, and the entire pack.

After Nell's death the night the Black Blood Pack attacked, | became the next Alpha and took it upon myself to correct every fucking wrong Nell had done. | pulled out from the Dark Circle and rejoined the Council, and | also tried breaking the curse.

I had sought Thane out since he was the casting witch who placed the curse, but he refused to help us, instead, he and his bloody coven attacked the Pack, intending to murder me. And with the curse on me and the pack if anything had happened to me, everyone would have perished with me. That was what Nell wanted, and Thane wanted to fulfill Nell's wish.

So, when Thane and his coven attacked, we were ready. And with the help of Valerie and her witches, | killed Thane and the entire coven who stood against my pack and me. And | don't regret it.

“You bloody monster!” Thea wriggled on the chair she was confined to, in an attempt to break free.

“I didn't know that man was your father. And I'm sorry you had to live your life knowing your father died in my hands, but he caused it by going against the pack. And | only defended and protected my people against a dark witch and his coven.” “You murdered my parents, and | swear | would shred every fucking thing you love into unrecognizable pieces, starting with your fucking whore of a mate!” she threatened.

“Save your breath for tomorrow when your fate will be decided, Thea.

It's a shame you would end up just like your father,” I sounded.

And she laughed. “You fucking idiots. You have no idea what coming your way." “I will find out,” 1 told her, turning to the door.

“And how do you plan on doing so? Torturing me? Well, that would

be so stupid, Killian. You have no idea how much I've prepared myself, just in case this day would come.” I stopped at the door. “I really don't doubt that, Thea. Just hang in there, you have no idea what I've prepared for you." 1 walked out of the dungeon, paying no mind to Thea's relentless screams.

I walked out to find Sheila outside.

“You heard everything,” | said, and she nodded.

“She didn't say anything about her lover. It wouldn't be easy, but he could try to break her out," Sheila said.

“And I hope he does. I'm dying to find out who could have betrayed me in such a manner, teaming up with Thea, knowing she was against me and the pack” | told her, sighing. “But she said something “Yeah, | heard. It has to do with Lucius, but | have no idea what it is."

“Could you find out?" | asked her and she nodded.

“I could get into her mind, and find out everything, maybe even who her lover is.” I sighed in relief, kissing her. “That would be great. But no one should know about this. Not yet.” “Alright, it's just between us.”